


The Tree I Met You

by suzujason



Category: Voltron - Fandom, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blood and Injury, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith/Lance - Freeform, Lance is bisexual, M/M, Minor Allura/Shiro (Voltron), You Have Been Warned, any explicit content will be warned before certain chapters, but not too much, in some scenes maybe, keith is gay, klance, like homo all the way, minor allura/lance, pidge uses she/they pronouns, this fic is rated M but there may be some explicit scenes in the future
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-08-08 18:21:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7768324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suzujason/pseuds/suzujason
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lance McClain is a lonely boy. He doesn't have any friends or anyone he can rely on. His family is fake , his classmates are either bullies or complete strangers to him and as an eleven year old no one takes him seriously. In the midst of exploring his mind, his character and his fears Lance finds himself wandering into the forest near their house. There he meets his first friend, a tree... It is not only weirdly shaped but it looks like as if it is being isolated from the rest of the forest. Lance feels a strange bond between them and tells the tree everything about himself.<br/>With each passing day Lance feels stronger than he has ever felt before. He makes new friends and his life is finally becoming a better one but the memory of his strange friend slowly fades away until it becomes a blurry picture in Lance's mind...<br/>One night, a series of strange events lead Lance into the woods once again but this time he is not welcomed by his old friend... Shattered wings, a dying light, a beautiful boy covered in blood and a face that will haunt Lance forever...<br/>Seven years later, on his last year of highschool Lance McClain comes across that same face in the most unpredictable way...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wandering

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my very first klance fanfic which me and my cousin worked very hard on. It was really fun to write and plan all the events in the series and I hope you like it. I'm not a native speaker so sorry for any possible mistakes and I'm obviously not the best writer... But that's not going to stop me from writing!!  
> Okay so I hope you have fun reading 'The Tree I Met You' ^_^
> 
> WARNING: There is mention of blood at the end of the first chapter so if that bothers you skip from ''Lance didn't know what surprised him more'' to  
> ''He placed his shaking hands on..''

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Lance McClain was more than ready to leave the school bus when he noticed his house a few meters away. He was ready to leave everything that reminded him of his school behind. He got up from his seat on the back when the driver stopped the bus. He started walking towards the open door without noticing the boy who was sitting in front of him. He was blocking the corridor with his leg which leaded in to Lance meeting the buss’s gray ground almost immediately. His head felt dizzy and at first it was hard for him to open his eyes but despite all the throbbing of his head he could still hear all the kids in the bus laughing at him. He wanted to say something, anything as an answer to all the noise they were making. 

’’ What are you all laughing about?! What’s so funny?! ’ he imagined himself saying. But nothing came out of his mouth. He didn’t understand why he just couldn’t stand up for himself when the Lance inside his head was so much stronger than the real Lance was. 

’’Hey kid! I can’t wait for you to get off the bus all day. Hurry up!’’  
Another roar of laughter came from the students and when Lance dared to look up he saw the boy who tripped him laughing. Of course he would laugh; he was the only sort of person who would feel happy after something like this.  
Alex Brand was the one kid he could not get away from. They were in the same bus, same class and the same neighborhood. This had been like the way it was for as long as Lance could remember himself and of course with this came Lance’s tragic school life. Lance got up from where he fell, pushing himself off the dirty floor. Oh god he needed to get out of here now!

’’ What happened McClain? Oh no you look sad did your sorry ass get hurt? We wouldn’t want that would we guys!’’ Alex said and burst into a psychotic laughter.   
There were small giggles escaping from the students as Lance started walking towards the door once more, ready to leave them all behind. When he got off the bright yellow school bus he heard the engine start and understood that they were gone a moment later. All those horrible people were finally gone and with the relief of being alone he didn’t hold back his tears. He covered his face with his small hands and let out a small sob. His crying was silent because he didn’t want any of his family members or someone from the neighborhood to hear him. His crying was getting quitter with each second passing. Lance stopped crying a moment later and wiped his wet face with his sweatshirt. His face ached in response to the pressure but Lance would worry about his bruised face later. Now he had his mom to worry about. She was probably reading a magazine or maybe watching TV in the living room. Well… what she was doing wouldn’t be a problem on a normal day but the living room was right next to the stairs which led to his room. He had to be as quiet and invisible as possible in order to escape without being noticed. He didn’t dare to ring the bell instead he grabbed his keys from his backpack and opened the door with them. He tried to be as silent as possible but as soon as the door was open his mom turned around to face him. Yeah, he had been right about the magazine part.

She put her magazine down and got up from where she was lied down on the sofa. Lance was about to reach the stairs when an arm grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around. His mother knew something was up because Lance usually greeted his mom when he arrived. But he decided to stay silent today. So something had to be wrong… Lance was trying very hard not to show his face to his mom so he looked at the ground instead of facing her.

’’ Lance, look at me.’’ His mother said gently. Her voice was the softest she had ever used in a long time. Lance didn’t obey her and continued looking at their hardwood covered floor.

’’ Lance McClain I’m telling you to look at me!’’ 

There she was… Hellen McClain used her real voice this time. Strong and convincing… It was hard to say no to her so Lance finally faced his mother. She was a small women but everything screamed powerful about her. Her short dark hair, her golden brown skin, her beautiful blue eyes and pointed nose… Everything about her said freedom and despite being his mother’s clone Lance didn’t have those vibes about his looks. Her eyes were immediately rounded after noticing the condition of her son’s face. She kept looking at him, her mouth wide open from the sudden shock. Seriously, the bullying wasn’t news for Lance in fact he had gotten used to his beaten up look. But this was definitely news to his mother who had no idea that his son had to go through this almost every day. She let out a small gasp before she said:

’’ Oh god Lance who did this to you? What happened? Tell me everything!’’

This had to be a joke right? His mom who had never listened to her no matter what he tried to say until this day was telling him that he had to tell her the entire story. Well there was no story to begin with. It had started out as usual. Lance was doodling something on his text book in break time and Alex came up to him with a few friends of his and just grabbed him by the elbow to take him out to the back of the school building. He didn’t have the strength to defend himself nor he had the voice to say something in return of all the things they had done to him. And here he was now.

’’ I got into a fight with a kid in my class so this happened…’’ Lance said gesturing his face.

’’ Don’t worry he looks worse than me.’’ Lied Lance.  
He chose to answer her questions because he knew that his mom wouldn’t accept him staying silent.

’’ Can I go to my room now?’’ 

’’O-Okay but let me give you an ice pack!’’ And with that his mom literally flew to the kitchen to get it for him.

When she returned she gave him a concerned look which Lance returned with a fake smile. His mother observed his face for any lies or just anything wrong and when she finally settled with his fake story she let him go. Lance slowly took the steps to his room which was the first room you met upstairs. He was about to turn the knob of his wooden door when he suddenly heard a laughter from his left. He was afraid this would happen but deep inside he knew it was inevitable… The laughter continued and he turned to look at his sister, who stood in front of her room’s open door. She had an amused look on her face and a part of Lance knew that her cheerfulness was because of him.

’’ You really expect me to believe all those? I thought you were a better liar.’’ She continued to laugh and threw her head back, swinging her long black hair along the way. 

’’All the things I said were true and besides it’s none of your business Morgan!’’ Lance said, his voice louder than usual.

Morgan stopped laughing when she noticed the look on Lance’s face. He looked broken, he looked defeated and he didn’t bother to pretend he was okay. His sister had the ability to see right through him so he wouldn’t dare lie to her. Lance was expecting her to say something about the look on his face or even mock him but what surprised him was his sister walking towards him and pulling him into a tight hug. His body ached in response but he didn’t want to ruin this moment. After his initial shock was gone Lance hugged her back. She buried her face in his neck and they stood like that for a moment. She was way taller than he was so Lance had to stand on his tiptoes to hug his older sister properly. Lance was the one to break their hug and when he finally looked at Morgan his dead expression was gone and was replaced with a small smile. This time a real one… Morgan smiled back at him.

’’ If something is bothering you can talk to me you know. I’m always here for you okay?’’

’’I know but it’s not like you can make things better…’’ Lance simply replied. 

This was the truth and Morgan knew this better than him. She didn’t say anything in return instead she chose to smile brightly at him. After she disappeared into her room Lance got into his. His room was not the biggest room in the house but you wouldn’t call it small. It was an average sized room with a high ceiling. His room was covered in blue and white. His bed which was in the corner next to his window was white just like his desk in front of the window. The walls were painted with light blue which made the room relaxing. It was like looking at the sky all the time. His closet was in front of his bed which was also white and on its left stood his bookshelf which contained his manga collection and some random books. His favorite part of the room was his huge window. It faced directly to the woods behind their house. The sight was so breathtaking that Lance had this warm feeling inside his chest whenever he saw it. The woods were mostly covered with pine trees which gently swayed with the wind creating an amazing view. Lance used to go into the woods all the time a few years ago when his dad didn’t have the job he had now. As an eleven year old it would be the freedom he needed so badly, wandering in the woods with his dad but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to convince his father into it. His father had to work until late hours due to his work and he constantly had to go to meetings which were held in another town so his dad being absent wasn’t something new to him. But still… he wondered how it would feel like, walking alongside the huge trees, without thinking about anything. That was what he needed.

He glanced at the woods once more before dropping his backpack next to his desk and a second later he reached the door.   
He tried his best to be quiet; he didn’t want to raise any suspicion from his sister or his mother. He knew his mother would say no to him almost instantly not that he was planning to ask for her permission. When he reached downstairs he could hear his mother’s noise from the kitchen, probably discussing some unimportant subject with one of her friends. Being sure that his mom wasn’t going to hear him he opened the main door slowly. When he was out he noticed that it was almost getting dark, he should have brought a torch but he was too afraid to go back now. Without looking back Lance started to run towards the woods. He passed their backyard and without slowing down he entered the woods. The sun was still up and Lance was grateful for that. Now that he was surrounded by trees and their house was nowhere in sight he decided to slow down and admire the beauty around him. The setting sun brought rays of light above the pine trees which created random shadows and made the beautiful green leaves stand out more. This sight was everything he needed to forget about his school, his mother who he could never share anything with, his annoying but caring in a way sister, his barely there father and of course his weaknesses. Nothing mattered here, Lance didn’t care about anything in this beautiful atmosphere, him being bullied or being unable to fight back those bullies was the least valuable things in his life now.   
As he continued his wandering he started to search for a spot he could sit and relax. Thankfully he came across this huge tree. The tree was weirdly shaped and Lance couldn’t help but think that it must be a shame to have a shape like that, you know…as a tree… Actually Lance found the tree kind of relatable so he decided to sit under it. He stood there without saying a word for minutes, just enjoying the mesmerizing environment around him.

He looked up to examine the tree. It had a wide body, weirdly shaped branches and little to no leaves. He had an idea at that moment which he would probably regret later. He sighed and said:  
’’ Hello you big old tree! My name is Lance Mcclain and from now on you are my best friend!’’ 

Lance laughed a little when he thought about what he just did.  
'I’m talking to a tree!!' he thought.  
This was the weirdest thing he had ever done but even the feeling of talking to someone about his problems made him relax. So he placed his hand on the tree’s moss covered body and he could swear that he felt a tingling on his hand. Lance smiled before he fell into a long conversation with the strange tree.

..............................................................................................................................

 

Lance didn’t know how he was caught up in this situation, but he found himself cornered   
by Alex and his friends in the classroom, again... Their names were blurry for Lance so he didn’t bother to remember the other boys who looked ready to beat him up anytime. They were smiling at him sinisterly and Lance would wipe those stupid smirks off their face immediately if he could. But he felt powerless when the three boys in front of him got closer, still smirking and towering over him like he was nothing more than a useless pebble compared to them. He felt small and fragile. He had been thinking that things were getting better since he started talking to the tree a month ago but apparently he was too childish to believe such a thing. When Alex was close enough he said:

’’ What did you think you were doing Mcclain? Do you honestly think you can defend yourself against us huh? If you ever try to say something against us…’’

’’Then what? Tell me what you can do to make me shut up?’’ Lance answered him with a calm voice.

At first he couldn’t believe that he had the confidence to fight back but the tree hadn’t been useless like he suspected earlier. Just a few minutes ago when they were still in class, Alex tried to mock Lance for doodling all over his homework when the teacher pointed it out but Lance said something in return that even their teacher was shocked. Lance was proud of himself for not staying silent this time but the feeling was replaced with fear when the class was over. 

’’ You little…’’ was all Alex said before grabbing him by the collar but before he could punch him a small but powerful voice filled the classroom.

’’ Leave him alone or else you’ll face the consequences!’’ the voice said.

Lance turned his head around to look at his savior. The girl was walking towards them now with the angriest expression Lance had ever seen in a while. She had short light brown hair which was messily cut, she was wearing a baggy green sweater and loose pants which were tucked inside her red rain boots. She was wearing big round glasses which were the same color as her boots. She looked really cute in all those loose clothes but she looked nothing like the rest of the girls in his class. She looked more confident and he could easily see that from her large brown eyes, shining bright like the sun. She looked more than ready to end them all. Lance was silently wishing that he would not get in the way of her wrath.

’’ Oh guys what was that? I thought I heard something but I can’t see a thing!’’ Alex said. 

The three of them started laughing like maniacs and were enjoying this moment more than anything. Thankfully none of them noticed Lance getting away. When he was a safe distance away from them Lance decided to watch them in silence. The little girl smile slowly but before anyone can notice she landed a strong kick on Alex’s leg. The kick was so strong that Alex and his friends had to back away into the corner. Alex screamed in agony, bending down to hold his knee. The other two was shocked and their faces screamed fear. Was that how Lance looked a few minutes ago?

’’ If you dare to say another word, my kick will land on some certain areas…’’ the girl, his savior said.

Alex was too stunned to speak. It was obvious that he didn’t expect her to kick him. He was still crouching on the ground holding his injured leg and this time he was the one who needed to look up. This time he was the tiny one.

’’ Do you see me now?’’ she said and with that panic erupted in the small group of boys. 

The other two grabbed Alex under the arms and helped him get up and with that they left the classroom leaving Lance and the girl alone.   
She slowly turned around to face Lance who was backed up o the board. She looked up to him examining his face for possible bruises. Seriously she was so tiny! Lance couldn’t believe that a tiny human like her could be this strong.

’’ Are you okay?’’ she said, this time gently. 

’’ I-I don’t know how to thank you?’’ 

’’You don’t need to thank me, I’m glad you’re fine now…’’

’’ The way you… kicked him… I mean Alex. It was … pretty cool!’’ Lance said.

This time she was truly smiling brightly at him and Lance couldn’t help but think that her smile illuminated the room.

’’ Thank you! I’ve been doing karate for as long as I can remember and if you want I can teach you some moves.’’ She said smiling mischievously.

’’Deal!’’ Lance said smiling back.

She held out her hand and Lance gradually took it and they greeted one another.

’’ Lance Mcclain.’’

’’ Pidge Gunderson.’’

For the rest of the school hours Lance spent all the break times with Pidge, chatting about almost anything including; space, magical creatures and karate. Lance smiled the whole time. He still couldn’t believe that he was friends with this awesome person. He no longer felt like the vulnerable kid who was cornered all the time. He could finally open up to someone. He could finally share what’s going on in his mind without feeling like he was being judged.  
When school was over Pidge offered to walk Lance home but Lance gently turned the offer down. She wasn’t sad or anything when Lance said no she just said that they could walk another time.

’’ See you tomorrow Sir Lancelot!’’ she shouted when they were almost five feet away.

’’ See you Pidgeon!!’’ Lance shouted back and waved at her.

She smiled in return and with that Lance moved to his own path. He decided to walk home today because he didn’t want to see Alex’s face anytime soon. Wow today had been amazing for him. He made his first real friend today and he was totally going to tell his parents about her. He might also tell the tree. Lance realized that he didn’t mention the tree while they were chatting with Pidge. He didn’t know why he left that out, maybe he didn’t want her to think that he is a weirdo but he knew that Pidge wasn’t likely to think that way about him. He pushed the thought back when the sight of their house appeared.  
Their house was covered in white paint and had a wooden veranda in front of the main door. It had two stories but it couldn’t be seen as a big house. More like an average sized one. There were bushes on both sides and it had beautiful flowers on them. The sight in front of him belonged to a lovely home but he knew it wasn’t as lovely as it seemed on the outside. It looked fake… exactly like his family.  
When he reached the door he decided to ring the bell this time, knowing that he didn’t have any new bruises on his face today. His sister was the one to answer the door.

’’ Wow I was expecting you to have more bruises but look at you!’’ she said and gestured her hands towards Lance, smiling at him.  
He rolled his eyes in response and entered their house, thankfully Morgan didn’t stop him. He just wanted to talk to someone already whether it’s his mom, sister or the strange tree. He wanted to tell them about Pidge, his first real friend, the brave girl who saved him but of course he was going to leave the saving part out. He didn’t want his mom to know that his son was constantly getting bullied at school. And things would get worse if she finds out about Lance’s little lie.

’’ Where’s mom?’’ Lance asked.

’’ She is in the kitchen, talking to Aunt Megan probably… Why’d you ask?’’ Morgan replied, closing the door.

’’ Today I became friends with someone! Her name is Pidge and she is super cool!’’ Lance said without holding back his excitement.

’’ You… and making friends… oh my god Lance are you telling the truth?’’ She laughed a little when Lance made a bored expression as an answer.

’’ Well I’m glad that you’re happy Lance!’’

’’ I would be glad too if you started believing in me instead of mocking me all the time…’’ Lance mumbled his words barely audible. It was obvious that Morgan didn’t understand a word he said from the look on her face. 

Lance dropped his backpack near the stairs and entered the living room on his right. He walked really fast as if he was in a hurry. Well… He was kind of in a hurry because it was hard to find a time when his mom actually listened to him. He threw the kitchen door open and said excitedly:

’’ Mom you are not going to believe what happened today!!’’  
Lance literally yelled at this point and he didn’t care until his mother turned around to look at him. Her face filled with anger. She was holding her phone to her ear and she was leaned against the counter, a muffled voice was coming out of the phone. 

’’ Would you excuse me for a second?’’ She said to the person on the phone, with a fake smile on her face.

’’ Lance can’t you see I’m on the phone! What’s your problem?’’ she whispered… loudly.

’’ Sorry mom… But something amazing happened today and__’’

’’ Okay let me finish this then we can talk.’’

’’ But__’’

She gave him a look which literally said shut up! So he left the kitchen without saying a word. Was it so hard to listen to what Lance had to say? Not that he had much to say. He usually preferred to stay silent around his family knowing that they wouldn’t care about what he had to say but this time… It was different. What Lance was about to share with them was one of the most important thing which happened in his life. It seemed they didn’t care about that either…  
There was only one option left for him…the tree. The strange tree had been his only friend for the past month and it seemed like it was the only one who cared about Lance. So he quickly ran up to his room, grabbing a torch this time and ran down the stairs. This time he didn’t bother to be quiet. He banged the door after he got out of the house and ran to the woods. 

The woods were a bit different this time. It was still beautiful, but not breathtaking as it used to be. Maybe Lance had gotten used to the beauty of the forest or maybe it was because the sun was about to be gone. It was the second one for sure. Lance quickly ran to his strange friend when he saw it. He memorized the path during the countless times he had been here. When he was finally in front of the tree he smiled brightly at it. Lance imagined it smiling back.

’’ Hi you big old tree! Oh I’m sorry … I’m being rude for calling you old! You’re of course as charming as usual.’’  
He raised one eyebrow at it and then burst into laughter. Was he seriously doing this right now?  
Today Pidge told him what flirting was, it was for impressing girls or something… So this counted as flirting? Was he flirting with this stupid tree? He didn’t want to answer any of those questions.

’’ You know today … was one of my happiest days! ’’ He said sitting in a comfortable position under the tree.

’’ I made friends with this awesome person called Pidge! She is really awesome , I wish you could meet her… Maybe you will but I mean she might think that I’m weird or so…’’  
Lance waited for a moment as if the tree was responding to him and sighed. He threw his head back to look up to the tree, his eyes meeting the weird shaped branches.

’’Oh no no! Don’t give me that look Mr. Tree. We already talked about this before I don’t think what you and I have is weird it’s just…’’ Lance decided to change the subject because their conversation was not going anywhere.

’’ You know… when I tried to tell my Mom about Pidge she refused to listen to me. I mean she was on the phone but I knew it was my aunt so she could just tell her to wait a moment…’’ He waited for a moment before continuing.

’’ Anyway… I want to talk about today and how I met Pidge, The Pidgeon, the savior of my life!!’’ Lance laughed a little at his choice of words and his unusually loud voice. So he told the tree about what happened. He talked about how he stood up for himself for the first time in class, how he was able to say something back when the bullies cornered him, how Pidge kicked Alex (which was the highlight of that day) and how Pidge and him officially met. He talked about their conversations with Pidge, about karate, space, and magical creatures…

’’ You know there is something bothering me these days… I mean it’s been going on for a long time but I just wanted to share it with you…’’ Lance said. He could never speak to anyone about this, the huge tree his back was leaned against was his only listener.

’’ When Pidge and I were chatting today she said something to me and I really wanted to tell her what’ been going on inside my head but__’’ Lance stood silent for a moment.

’’ She told me that when I grew up all the girls would fall for me…’’ He blushed a little when he mentioned that, just like he did this morning.

’’ And I wanted to ask her… Was it so wrong for me to want … b-boys falling for me as well?’’ He was blushing so hard at this point. He buried his face in his hands and brought his knees to himself as if to shelter his body for an upcoming attack. His eyes were burning. 

'I’m not going to cry … No! I’m not going to cry!!!' he thought.

But despite his efforts tears started rolling down his cheeks. He ran his hands down his hair, pushing his hair back as if to calm himself down. He didn’t need to fear because he knew that his friend was never going to judge him. Letting a small sob out he went on:  
’’ I mean… It shouldn’t be wrong right, I mean why would it be? It shouldn’t matter if you want to hold a boys hand or a girls hand. It’s the same as long as you love them.’’

Lance didn’t have a clue about love when he was too young to know what love truly was but he saw it when his dad gently held his moms hand a few days ago, he saw it when Morgan’s boyfriend smiled at her… He couldn’t define what love truly was but he had these small images in his mind which gave him a clue.

’’ A few days ago some kids in my class were talking about a word… It was called being gay I guess… But I couldn’t relate with it. It means that you like boys instead of girls… like kissing them and stuff.’’ He said with his blush still visible on his face.

’’ But I like girls… And I feel confused. They were laughing about the word whenever they said it and it made me feel disgusting… I know it’s not but still… I mean if they knew a-about my feelings … they would hate me I guess…’’ Lance said and sighed heavily. He looked up to the tree again. The sun was no longer visible, and the stars had just started to appear. He knew it was getting late and he knew that his mom would probably yell at him for running away. He got up from where he sat, crushing some leaves while doing it and looked at the tree once more. He put his hand on the tree once more, this time gentler and said:

’’ Thank you for listening to me! I’ll see you tomorrow…’’  
When he was on his way home he turned the torch on and illuminated his path. He looked up to the star covered night sky and secretly wished they listened to him too.

 

Lance promised the tree that he would see him tomorrow but here he was walking to the ice cream parlor with Pidge and her friend. They had been walking silently for a while the one who broke the silence was Hunk. 

’’Can you guys walk any faster? I’m literally dying of starvation here!!’’  
Pidge introduced them on the first break today. They were in different classes but Pidge had somehow befriended him. Both of them were in the computer club but Hunk had admitted that he chose the club just so he could play video games. However Pidge actually chose it to learn something.

’’ If you continue complaining I won’t buy ice cream for you…’’ Pidge said with her mischievous grin.

’’ NO!! YOU CAN’T DO THAT TO ME!!!!’’ Hunk shouted this time.   
Some people around them gave him a weird look and some even laughed at the poor hungry kid…And that was the final blow which made Lance burst into laughter. The moment was so funny that Lance had to hold himself as if he was going to fall apart.

’’ Lance do something! Pidge is as cruel as usual…’’ Hunk said looking at him with puppy eyes.

’’ It seems like you haven’t seen me being cruel… I can show it to you !!!’’ Pidge said with a soft voice that sent a shiver down Lance’s back.   
Honestly Pidge was so powerful that even her soft voice could make them beg on their knees…

’’No thank you… I prefer your cute side.’’ Hunk said grinning like an idiot at Pidge.  
Pidge examined the chubby boy’s face before letting out a small laugh and swinging her small arm around his shoulder.

’’ So you admit that I’m cute!’’ Pidge said ,making Hunk laugh.

Lance watched them from two steps behind, admiring his friends. They had such a brother- sister type of relationship that Lance couldn’t help but smile whenever he witnessed it. He made the right choice by accepting Pidge’s offer this time. He was honestly so happy that he forgot about the promise he made yesterday. When he came home the thought of visiting the tree was long gone…

 

With every passing day the thought of the tree was fading away from Lance’s memory. His mind was now filled with round red glasses, a messy haircut, the tiny but strong voice, the clumsy boy from another class and his endless jokes, the ice creams they bought together, the time they raced to the school building, every precious thing they had done together…Weeks passed and then months but Lance never visited the tree….

 

It was around 10.30 and Lance was supposed to be sleeping. No one expected him to be doodling over his homework which was due to tomorrow. Well… The teacher would yell at him … Again… Or maybe he could just copy it from Pidge’s homework just before class. Yeah that sounded nicer.

Lance knew that he was not good at concentrating but he knew had to solve at least one or two questions. He held his pen tightly, he narrowed his eyes and looked right into the equation. He was doing it he was actually solving a math problem he was…

''Wait… What if I just… don’t…''

And a second later Lance was doodling again. Minutes passed and he had long forgotten his homework and was drawing Hunk and Pidge as ninjas. He smiled a little when he thought about them wearing a ninja suit in real life, the costume too small for Hunk to breathe. But suddenly something caught his attention. A light … and it was coming from the woods. This was no ordinary light, it looked like as if it was made of star light, golden and striking and was coming right from the center of the woods. Lance felt his heart beating faster. He had the feeling that he knew where exactly the light source was located. His tree…  
He felt his chest getting tighter, it was suddenly hard to breathe. Lance knew that the logical thing to do was to ignore it and continue drawing but something about that light was drawing him towards it. He stood up from his chair immediately, eyes rounded from the shock… The light… It was dimming? It had been powerful enough to brighten up the night sky just a moment ago and now it felt more like a candle light compared to what it used to be. It was as if the light was saying  
Help me!

Lance didn’t have the time to debate the idea inside his head. He had to go to the tree… He had to know what was going on! The curious kid inside him was driving him crazy and Lance didn’t have the energy to fight him…  
So he opened hid drawer, grabbed his torch, and tiptoed his way towards the door. He knew this wasn’t a good idea and he was aware of his parents busting him on his way downstairs but he had one purpose in mind. Going to the tree… When he was downstairs his mom was watching TV with his dad, their backs facing him. Oh God… this was definitely the hardest thing he had ever done. He continued to walk towards the door and when he reached it he turned the knob silently, praying that non of his parents would hear him. Thankfully they were too busy with the TV that they didn’t even flinch when he got out and closed the door behind him. He let out a relieved sigh and ran towards the woods. 

The closer he got to the light source the dimmer it got. His heart was beating so fast now and everything inside him literally said  
Turn back!

But the light never stopped calling him, asking for his help.

When he finally spotted the strange tree he was relieved for seeing such a familiar view but the feeling was immediately gone. Lance had reached the tree and now stood behind it, facing the light source. Lance’s body was frozen and his mind had gone blank. His brain was trying to make sense of what he was seeing. It couldn’t be real. Lance didn’t want to believe the sight in front of him. His hands were shaking as he brought them to cover his mouth, trying to cover his loud gasp.  
On the ground laid a fairy…

A fairy covered in blood.

Lance didn’t know what surprised him more… The fact that fairies are real or that he was in front of an almost dead one…His body was as big as Lance’s but he had small wings on his back which looked torn apart. They had huge scratches on them which made Lance want to vomit even after thinking about it. His body was cut open by what was likely caused by whipping and his skin was a pale gray. He was breathing heavily. He looked lifeless despite the dim light coming from his body. It was as if he was holding on to his life with everything he got... Everything which was left of him…  
Lance crouched beside him on the ground. His eyes were burning, his stomach was twisting and his body was shaking violently…What could the poor thing had done to deserve this kind of ending?

He placed his shaking hands on the fairy’s fragile body gently as if he could be broken any moment. The fairy’s eyes suddenly opened. They were heavily hooded and he could barely look at Lance. Lance had to admire how otherworldly beautiful the fairy was. He had a sharp jaw, a pointed nose, small lips, high cheekbones and pointed ears. His hair was black and he had this stupid mullet kind of hairstyle which strangely looked good on him. But what caught Lance’s attention were his eyes… They were colored like the midnight sky. Blue black eyes which would look like an endless night now looked like a stormy sky… grayish and lifeless.  
Lance felt a shiver running down his back when the fairy started to cough, taking him away from his thoughts. The cough soon turned into a broken laugh. The fairy looked him in the eye.

’’ Hello Lance McClain…’’


	2. Familliar Faces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used they/them pronouns for Pidge this chapter so don't be confused. My headcanon is that Pidge uses she/they pronouns soooo   
> Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter ^_^

Chapter 2: Familiar Faces

 

Hello, Lance McClain…

The sentence was constantly repeating in his mind. Lance was trying to get a grasp of the whole situation before him… The male fairy was a single breath away from death, laid on the ground in front of him, covered in his own blood, his fragile light illuminating the pine trees around them, creating random shadows…

He said his name?! How could he know his name when Lance had never even seen a fairy in real life before? What happened to him? Who did this to him? How could Lance help him, save him?  
Lance wanted to ask all of these questions wanted to ask more …but he kept staring at the beautiful fairy without saying a word. The fairy opened his mouth, trying to say something but what came out of his mouth was a laud gasp. The fairy was coughing violently a moment later.

’’ Oh no! Oh god…’’Lance kept mumbling these words. As if reading his thoughts the fairy said:

’’ You can’t save me Lance… I knew this was going to happen; I had been prepared for it but… They still caught me off guard.’’

’’W-what happened to you? ’’ Lance asked, his voice shaky. The fairy to his surprise chuckled lightly before saying:

’’ You know … I’ve been lonely too! I’ve been afraid for a long time just like you…’’ The fairy started coughing again. Lance’s eyes had started burning, ready to shed tears any time now, waiting for the next opportunity… He placed his hands on the fairy’s silky black hair and pushed it back, revealing his bruised face. The fairy’s dark eyes met his. He was smiling at Lance as if he was smiling for the last time. Suddenly a fragment of a memory appeared before his eyes…

’’ Hello you big old tree! My name is Lance McClain and from now on you are my best friend!’’

It didn’t take long before realization hit him. Lance was crying a river, his whole body shaking. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he brought his hands to cup the fairy’s grayish face. Surprise filled the fairy’s eyes but he didn’t look at anything but Lance’s blue ones. Lance was angry at himself, angry that he hadn’t been here earlier that he didn’t come and save what was precious to him. He didn’t notice him being under the same tree with him all those months ago, he didn’t realize that this dying light had been his only listener, his savior when he didn’t have anywhere to go.

Lance was a hurricane, his crying voice echoed in the forest, blending with the soothing wind. His tears felt like raindrops as they fell onto the beautiful creature’s cheeks.

’’Tell me! How can I save you? There has to be a way…’’ Lance said, his voice broken. His hands were still holding the fairy’s face. The light coming out of his small body could easily be mistaken as a candle light. It was unstable as if the wind was trying to defeat the fire inside him, slowly making the light fade away…

’’ It’s okay Lance, I’ve accepted my fate… You can let me go now.’’ The fairy said. His voice was rough from coughing.

’’ No I’m not letting you go!’’ Lance said, pressing their foreheads together. The fairy chuckled softly before gently closing his eyes. 

’’ You should go Lance… Thank you for everything you gave to me.’’ The fairy said and finally closed his eyes, his eternal light long gone…

Lance got up from where he stood and started to run without looking back. Without glancing at the fairy who was now… gone. Lance’s shouts echoed in the forest and he didn’t care if anyone heard him. He didn’t want to feel anything; he wanted to forget everything that happened today. He wanted the image of the beautiful fairy’s last laugh erased from his memory. He ran and ran through the woods which seemed like an endless maze but his thoughts never once left him. He thought about the fairy’s shattered wings, his bruised face, and the wounds covering his tiny body, the light slowly fading away from him, his pale face and his dark blue eyes which reminded him of the night sky… Lance knew that these images would haunt him forever and he knew that there was no escaping.

He ran until his whole body refused to move, until he forgot what feeling was…  
That night he cried silently without looking at his window, curled up in his bed, facing the wall… He held his pillows in his arms all night long knowing that he wouldn’t be able to feel safe no matter what he did. That night he dreamed of a boy laid under a tree, his light no longer illuminating the forest…

 

It was the second day of seventh grade and Lance already wanted to set this place on fire. First of all he was in the same class as Alex … again. Okay he got used being in the same class with him over the years, thankfully his bullying had stopped over the years, not that Lance actually cared… But the real problem was that he was no longer in the same class as Pidge. He didn’t think that he could make it out of here alive without her. Oh and second of all he got into a fight with his homeroom teacher on the first day when she tried to take his sketch book away. He was certain that their arguments would continue and Lance was afraid he might say some words that he would regret in the future… This was going to be a really long school year.

’’ Lance come over here!’’ Pidge shouted from where she stood beside the door, grinning maliciously. She was wearing a baggy green t-shirt and jean shorts which made her small frame look even tinier. Her hair was styled the usual way, messy and wavy. Lance finally decided to answer when her look became slightly angry.

’’ Why?’’ Lance raised one eyebrow at her.

’’ What do you mean why? Come over now it’s important…’’ Lance got up from his desk and strolled to where Pidge was standing. When he was close enough she whispered:

’’It’s about a girl…’’

’’What about her?’’

’’ She said she wanted to meet you.’’

’’Why are you suddenly whispering is it supposed to be a secret or something?’’ She groaned as an answer and continued:

’’ No you idiot! It’s just that that…’’

’’ Is she pretty? How tall is she? Does she have big b-‘’

Pidge squeezed Lance’s arm hard enough to make him shut up.

’’ Make me a favor and don’t complete that question okay?’’ Pidge said rolling her eyes when she saw the pained expression Lance had.

’’ Ouch! Okay okay I won’t. No need to be rude Pidgeon!’’ Lance said throwing his arm around Pidge’s tiny shoulders. Pidge sighed before she whispered:

’’ The girl is … Allura.’’

Lance’s eyes were rounded immediately. Was he dreaming, was he finally ascending to heaven? 

’’The Allura?’’ Lance said with disbelief in his voice.

’’Yes it’s her…’’

’’ Are you kidding me?! Oh my god oh my god OH MY GOD!!!’’ Lance’s overly enthusiastic and loud voice made all the kids in the class look at him for a second. Was this really happening?? The prettiest girl in school told Pidge that he wanted to meet Lance! Allura Courtland was the most beautiful girl in the whole school without doubt… Her golden hair, her dainty features, her blue eyes with a fragment of violet, her silky dark skin… Everything about her was perfect that Lance sometimes thought that God made her as a limited edition human. 

’’ But…. Why?’’ he asked.

’’ How should I know… Ask her!’’ 

’’ Aww Pidgeon you are the best!!’’

’’ Am I the best because I just happened to be in the same class as a pretty girl or are you just being sweet?’’

’’ Both!’’ Lance shouted before hugging her furiously. She hugged him back and chuckled lightly. Pidge was the one to break the hug.

’’ She said she would wait for you near the school gate.’’

’’ Alright! Thanks again Pidge!’’ He said and started running towards the stairs.

’’ Good luck Sir Lancelot!’’ Pidge shouted after him smiling the whole time…

 

Lance fucked up… He really did fuck everything up. That morning when Pidge told him that Allura wanted to get to know him better, he was so excited that he didn’t think about what he was going to say, how he was going to speak…. He wasn’t good at speaking with strangers in the first place and especially when they were attractive. And God….Allura was the definition of attractive. And when he finally spotted her, sitting on a bench next to the school gate Lance’s brain functions died and even now Lance didn’t actually remember what he said. He remembered his poor attempts of flirting, he remembered her smiling back whenever he made a puns. Lance was a hundred percent sure that she was just being polite because Lance knew himself better than anyone else and he was aware of the fact that he was making the lamest puns. Oh but wait… He really did fuck it up when he accidentally asked her out… He asked her out! Allura was talking about some sort of TV show that he wasn’t really interested and maybe it was because of puberty or just wondering how it would be like to have a girlfriend… He asked her out!

Her reaction was the worst! She just started laughing and didn’t stop for what felt like an hour… Lance remembered his embarrassment in that exact moment. He was horrified, he wanted his head to explode, he wished he had the ability to teleport so that he could get away from her. But then she just said

The reason I invited you here was because I was looking for a partner! You see… I’m the president of the art club and we are planning on making our own comic book. Pidge showed me your sketches and they are really amazing! We need your help so badly… What do you say?

Well of course he said yes… What else was he supposed to say. After making a fool out of himself he was obviously going to accept her offer. It was never easy to turn a pretty girl down… And the best part about their conversation was when Allura said she would think about his question. This made him feel a bit better but he was still so shamed for thinking that she wanted to meet him because she was interested in him…   
Obviously Pidge knew about the art club thing and she refused to tell him. He was going to kill her for sure!!

 

Lance kept looking through the window of the school bus, examining the familiar sight of his neighborhood. When they were finally getting close to his house he came across an unfamiliar sight. There was a black, expensive looking car parked in front of their house. Lance knew for a reason that this was not his father’s car. His father would never come home this early on a week day being the successful business man he is. But something told Lance that this was indeed related to his father. His theories were cut off when the school bus stopped. 

Lance checked the corridor in front of him for any possible threats but there was none. Thankfully Alex was nowhere in sight… When he got out of the bus he gave the car a quick look before climbing the stairs of veranda. His hand was about a millimeter away from ringing the bell but was stopped by the door swinging open. The man in front of him was none other than Andrew McClain.

’’ Welcome son, why don’t you come in!’’ His father said giving him the best smile he can. 

It was as if he was waiting for Lance to come home. He looked so young despite his age and the cheerfulness surrounding him made him look even younger. Lance wondered about the last time he saw his father this happy… Maybe it was the time he got promoted or when he finally had enough money to start his own business. Lance couldn’t exactly pin down what made his father this way but he was smart enough to suspect it was about his business.

’’ Hi dad! What made you come home early? I thought you had an important meeting today.’’ Lance said.

’’ Yeah I did have a meeting. But then we – Well it’s easier to explain once you come in.’’

Lance nodded and walked past his father. He entered the living room, dropping his backpack near the stairs before walking in. He had started to hear some chatting once his dad opened the door and the talk got louder as he got closer to the living room. He met with two unknown faces almost immediately.

There was a man sitting on the couch who seemed to be his father’s age. There sitting next to him was who seemed to be the man’s son. The boy was older than Lance and he was smiling at something his father was saying. He had short black hair, a tall and muscular build and strong features. Their attentions turned towards Lance after a short moment.

’’ You must be Andrew’s son! Nice to meet you boy.’’ The man said as he and his son got up. He was far shorter than his son but their faces were identical. His son eyed Lance in a way that made him shudder.

’’ I’m Azumane Shirogane. You can address to me as Mr. Shirogane.’’ The man continued. They quickly shook hands. And now it was time to meet his son. The older boy’s cold eyes met Lance’s shocked ones. His every instinct told him that he should run the smile that blossomed on the other boy’s face told him otherwise. His expression now was nothing like the cold stare he had a moment ago. It was bright and warm and Lance knew that he had to stay.

’’ I’m Takashi Shirogane but you can call me Shiro.’’ The boy said, shaking Lance’s hand, giving him a smile like the sun.  
Lance looked up at him and in that moment he decided to trust him, share with him, know him…He gave Takashi the warmest smile he had.

’’ Lance Mcclain.’’ 

It didn’t take too long before Lance found out that his father and Mr. Shirogane was business partners. And the reason they postponed their meeting was because they wanted their sons to meet. With his father diving into the conversation they switched from subject to subject until they were too tired to talk. Lance showed Shiro his bedroom, his endless manga collection, their backyard and almost every other room in the house. They eventually got lost in their own conversation, sharing their adventures, their dreams, their problems, their happiness… When they were eventually gone, Lance couldn’t help but smile over the fact that he found himself a brother. 

 

 

’’ Lance I swear to God if you don’t get up now, I’m going to drag you out of the bed!!’’ Hellen shouted at his son who was buried under the pillows, his limbs all over the bed.

’’You can’t. You’re tiny and I’m too heavy…’’ Lance murmured, his blanket covering his face.

’’ LANCE!!’’

’’ Alright alright! Calm down mom I’m getting up…’’ He said, pushing the blanket and pillows away. 

His eyes met her glaring ones as he slowly got up from where he was sleeping in peace and quiet. He stood beside his bed for a while, stretching his sore muscles and groaning while doing all that. He had a massive head ache from last night but he would take care of that later, at least not when his mom was around. Hellen continued glaring at him, balanced on one hip, arms folded as she said:

’’ You know one fay I’m not going to be there to wake you up what are you going to do then?’’ Classic. His mom used this sentence whenever Lance was behaving irresponsible. She was trying to hit something deep when she mentioned that she was one day going to pass away but Lance was the least likely person to get affected by something so fake. 

’’ I’ll figure something out…’’ Lance said going towards hid closet.

’’Agh! I’m heading downstairs now. Breakfast is ready in five minutes and don’t you dare be late!’’

’’ Okay okay…’’ Lance said getting rid of his tshirt and pajama pants. His mom eyed him for a moment then closed the door and left. Lance had to take his painkillers now that he had time. Last night was a mistake and he knew it. He usually avoided parties on weekdays but once in a while wouldn’t hurt him… Well it actually hurt him but it was easy to avoid it. Lance went to his drawers, getting his red bottle full of pills. He opened the lid, dropping two white pills on his hand. He swallowed them quickly before heading towards his closet. He quickly searched for his usual outfit, a baggy tshirt, his green sweatshirt on top of it and his dark blue jeans. He grabbed his dark blue coat, remembering the cold air outside before finally heading downstairs.

When he reached the end of the stairs he was welcomed with the familiar scent of eggs and bacon. He walked towards the kitchen, heard his mother’s rushed talking (probably complaining about Lance), and finally entered the breakfast filled kitchen. What surprised Lance was seeing Shiro sitting on the small table, eating breakfast while smiling at Hellen. 

’’What are you doing here?’’ Lance said grabbing his toast in his hands before his mom protested. 

’’ Good morning to you too!’’ Shiro said, his mouth full of eggs and bread.

’’ I invited him for breakfast.’’ His mother said as if reading his mind. Lance raised an eyebrow at Shiro and slowly went over to sit next to him. He continued eating his toast in silence. It was obvious that his mother was talking about him a minute ago and it seems that their conversation died once he walked in. He would ask Shiro about that later. When they were done with breakfast Lance quickly said goodbye to his mother, grabbing Shiro’s wrist and getting them out of the house.  
Shiro seemed surprised by Lance’s sudden rush. He looked at Lance in disbelief for a moment before finally asking:

’’ Why were you running away from your mom.’’

’’ She doesn’t know about last night and I don’t want her finding clues about it.’’ Lance simply stated.

’’Oh…’’ Was all Shiro said. They walked towards Shiro’s car parked in front of their house. It was his father’s car which Lance came across seven years ago, the black and expensive looking one. Mr. Shirogane gave the car to his son a few years ago and Lance couldn’t forget the happiness on Shiro’s face when his father said he would give the car to him. He still caught glimpses of that happiness from time to time; Shiro was not the type to forget easily whether it’s a good memory or a bad one. 

Lance searched his pockets and found the pack of cigarettes. He picked himself one, lighting it while covering it with his hands. He took a quick drag before offering Shiro one. He shook his head declining the offer. Lance shrugged and took another drag, this time longer. He felt the smoke filling his lungs, burning them and slowly leaving his body as he exhaled.

Shiro went ahead and took the driver’s seat. He looked at Lance for a moment, obviously surprised by his relaxed position. Lance was leaned against the black car, smoking without a care in the world. Shiro couldn’t stand him any longer and literally smashed his hand on the horn. Lance was startled by the sound, his cigarette flying to the left and his body to the opposite direction. He was on the ground a second later and it didn’t take long for Shiro to burst into laughter. He was laughing so hard that Lance could swear he was crying. Well of course you would laugh if your best friend had just lost his shit because of your stupid joke. Oh but Lance wasn’t amused and he was more than ready to beat the shit out of Shiro.

’’ Dude what the fuck?!! Were you trying to kill me?!’’ Lance yelled as soon as he got up. 

Shiro’s laugh got even louder as he saw Lance’s glare. Honestly his angry look was the least convincing expression you could ever see on someone’s face. He didn’t look scary. He looked like an angry puppy trying to make his owner feel sorry for him. It was inevitable to look like that when you had Lance McClain’s huge blue eyes and perfect nose, not like everyone had those.   
Lance opened the car’s door, sitting on the front next to Shiro. He was still laughing at Lance but it wasn’t like the storm of laughter he had a moment ago. It was more silent but Lance was still glaring at him.

’’Oh my god would you stop laughing! It’s not that funny…’’ Lance said, grabbing another cigarette from his pack.

’’It was that funny… Lance you made my day, thank you so much. I’s been a long time since I laughed like that!’’ Shiro replied, wiping the tears from his eyes.

’’ Okay you can stop now…’’

’’ Seriously Lance, what’s with that glare? Smiling suits you better and besides you look like a sad puppy…’’

’’ Shut up!’’

’’ Okay okay…’’

They rode in silence for a while; the only sound was the muffled music coming from the radio. Lance leaned his hand against the open window, holding his cigarette out to let the smoke escape the car. He blew the smoke out of the window every time he exhaled it. Normally he would walk to school like he did every morning but since Shiro was so eager to take him to school he didn’t bother to come up with an excuse. He didn’t understand why a twenty two year old college student would waste his peaceful sleep to eat breakfast with a high schooler and dropping him off to school. But this was Takashi Shirogane and he was the most unpredictable person Lance knew, well other than Allura. She was the best at being unpredictable. She often called at 3 AM without thinking that Lance might actually be asleep. She sometimes yelled at Lance for the most stupid reasons and would kiss him right away, saying that she is sorry. She could show up at his house at any time whether its midnight or six in the morning. She did many other things that made Lance’s mind a blurry mess but he loved her for that. Thinking of Allura reminded him of something he would regret forgetting…

’’Shiro! I promised Allura that I would pick her up from her house on my way. I completely forgot about it, I’m fucked, she’s going to kill me, she might even bring a knife with her to school and we have to –’’ 

’’ Calm down… I already called her and told her that I was picking you up today. She said it was okay. To be honest you imagine he as a monster but in reality she is an angel.’’

’’ Don’t call my girlfriend an angel you dumbass.’’

’’ But she really is one. You just push her limits too much…’’

’’ No I don’t!’’ Lance fought back.

’’ Yes you fucking do!’’ Shiro sighed and turned his attention towards the road. 

Lance didn’t argue back because deep down he knew that he was the only person to drive Allura crazy and it was not just limited to their arguments…  
A few minutes later the school building was in front of them, wide, grey and filled with unhappy teenagers. The building looked more like a prison than school. It was wider than it was tall, it was surrounded by tall black fences, the school yard had several security guards and most of the students were either sleepy looking or looked like they were about to attack you. Yeah it was definitely a prison.  
Lance got out of the car, burying his pack of cigarettes in his coat’s pocket. He grabbed his backpack, swung it over one shoulder and glanced at Shiro. He smiled at Lance and said:

’’ I’ll see you later. My dad told me that he was going to meet with your father at some restaurant. He also said that we could join them. Do you want to go?’’

’’No.’’ Lance coldly replied. His father didn’t tell him about this and it was obvious that he didn’t want Lance around because he was his irresponsible son and his place didn’t belong near them.

’’ Well… think about it at least.’’ Shiro said and gave him a warm smile. Lance nodded in response and with that Shiro drove away from the cold school building. Lance waited until he was gone and when he was finally out of sight he walked towards the entrance. But before he could go inside he came across a pair of purplish blue eyes. It was no one other than his Allura. She was wearing dark blue jeans which showed off her toned legs, a black turtle neck sweater, a long silver coat which matched her dyed hair. Her hair was flowing freely, the silver shining bright and definitely catching everyone’s attention. She grinned devilishly at Lance before walking towards him.  
Lance couldn’t help but grin back at her. He loved her evil queen look when she showed her angel side to the others and this side only to him. He had it all to himself and Lance didn’t like sharing. 

’’ You’re late again…’’ Allura said, throwing her arms around Lance’s neck.   
Lance put his hands on her waist, pulling her closer. They were inches apart, their noses almost touching. He could feel her warm breath when they were this close.

’’Sorry for making you wait out in this cold my queen…’’

’’Did you just call me a queen?’’

’’Yeah I did!’’

’’You are an idiot Lance McClain… And don’t think a few pretty words will make my anger go away. I’m still mad at you for last night…’’  
Lance was out of words for a moment. Last night… Well Lance went to the party with Allura but didn’t return with her on his side. It didn’t take him long to lose her in the crowd and Lance caught himself in the middle of a drinking contest, forgetting about his girlfriend completely. He found her text when he stumbled back home. Allura wrote him that she was leaving early and sarcastically told Lance to have fun. He had to find a way to make it up to her…

’’ All… I didn’t know what I was thinking, my mind had gone completely blank back then… Can you forgive me princess?’’ Lance said, making his irresistible puppy eyes.   
He knew that using her nickname wouldn’t be effective on her but he had to try everything…

’’PLEASEEEE!! I’m sorry Allura, I’ll do anything—‘’

’’ It’s alright Lance. It’s not like that’s the most stupid thing you’ve ever done…’’ Allura said rolling her eyes. Lance’s eyes were rounded in shock as he said:

’’ Wait really?’’ 

’’ Yes really.’’ She answered, chuckling lightly under his hold.

Lance was so relieved and happy that he didn’t give a fuck about some curious eyes watching he two of them. He tightened his hold on Allura’s small waist, closing the tiny gap between their lips and pulling her into a tender kiss.   
She stiffened for a moment before melting into the kiss, her arms tightly around his neck. Lance’s tongue brushed lightly against Allura’s lower lip and he heard a small gasp escaping from some students. He was aware of the students watching them, some blushing at their intimacy, some disgusted and some jealous. Well they were the attractive couple in their school. Allura was one of the prettiest girls and Lance considered himself pretty attractive and he actually was hot compared to the other survivors of puberty. 

’’ Eww!!! Guys stop it!! My eyes they are burning oh god why…’’

Lance broke their kiss when he heard the familiar voice. Hunk was making a disgusted face when in reality he just wanted to kiss a pretty girl like Lance had just done. He laughed lightly when the two of them looked angrily at him. He smiled as if he had just accomplished a mission.

’’ Good morning to you too Hunk…’’ Allura said turning his attention towards the taller boy.

’’ You just have to ruin every special moment between me and my queen don’t you Hunk?’’ Lance said, giving him an annoyed look.   
Hunk always interrupted them because he knew that this was that was the easiest way to get on Lance’s nerves and he managed to annoy Lance almost every time. Like this one…

’’ Sorry Lance but you know that my stomach is delicate…’’  
Lance just groaned in response. Allura chuckled lightly at her boyfriend’s reaction and grabbed his hand into her small and warm one. Hunk had an amused look on his face even though a moment ago he was disgusted by their sudden closeness. He smiled before taking a step towards them. He leaned in so that they would both hear what he was about to say.

’’ Have you heard about the rumors?’’ Hunk whispered, his voice barely audible.

’’ What rumors?’’ Allura said with a surprised tone. Lance rolled his eyes at the gossipy aura surrounding them.

’’Hunk we just got here… How can we possibly---’’

’’ It’s about the new kid…’’

’’ Tell us the rumors already!!’’ Allura said.   
Honestly Lance couldn’t care less about the new kid or any of the gossips running around this school. Most of them were stupid and false information or were created by attention seeking people. He knew that Allura would be interested in any sort of drama or mystery about one of the students but seeing her getting this excited over something as stupid as this was certainly surprising.  
Hunk cleared his throat. He paused for a moment, checking for any eavesdroppers but thankfully found none. Lance didn’t want to admit but he was getting curios himself. What was with this new kid that Hunk had to be extra careful while speaking?

’’ They say he is in some sort of gang or something. Some students think that his father is a criminal. Well there is of course no proof but… a girl claimed that she saw him around the town a few days ago, all beaten up and he had … blood on him.’’ Hunk said, his face losing all its color. He covered his mouth with his right hand as if to prevent himself from puking. Allura’s eyes were rounded with shock as she was obviously trying to make sense of what Hunk had just said.

Lance couldn’t hold back anymore… This situation was honestly too funny that Lance couldn’T stop his hurricane of a laughter escaping from his mouth.   
Allura let go of his hand and was looking at Lance in disbelief. Hunk was looking at him like as if he was asking what was wrong with Lance…  
A few students glanced quickly at Lance while they were passing by. His laughter wasn’t the sort of laughter you would ignore. It echoed loudly in the long hallway.   
Lance bent down a bit, holding his stomach as if it was going to blow up.

’’ Lance this is serious. If he is really like that we need to watch out…’’ Allura managed to say but Lance didn’t look like he was going to stop any soon.

’’ OH MY GOD!! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME !!!’’ Lance literally shouted this time and it was inevitable to catch the attention of all the students around them…

’’ Shh! Lance be quiet… Everyone is looking at us.’’ Hunk said in his usually panicked voice.

Lance’s laughter slowly died out. He wiped away the tears with the hem of his coat. He slowly opened his eyes to see a group of students… eyeing him, probably thinking that he was a weirdo but Lance decided not to give a fuck years ago.  
He turned towards Allura and it wasn’t long before she landed a strong slap on his arm. Lance’s arm was literally on fire. Holy shit this girl was seriously strong…

’’ Lance I told you this was serious! Why can’t you shut up once we warn you?’’ Allura said.

’’ Ouch babe I’m sorry but the whole world adores my voice so I just did them a favor…’’ Lance said.

Allura rolled her eyes in response to his usual flirty self. He actually wanted to laugh more but he didn’t want to come across Allura’s demon side. These rumors were the most ridiculous things Lance had ever heard in a long time. Honestly it was like as if the people who started these rumors were directors of some soap operas. The new kid … He had a criminal father, was in a gang and constantly tortured people… Yeah… Lance didn’t believe any of this stuff but was in complete shock that Allura and Hunk actually believed them.

’’Anyway… Let’s just go to class.’’ Hunk said. None of them disagreed with him and the three of them went up the stairs to their class room.   
They actually didn’t need PE when their class was on the fifth floor…  
By the time they reached the classroom Lance’s legs were burning and he was pretty sure that the others had the same problem as well. The first thing Lance saw when he opened the door was Pidge…  
They were struggling with a weird video game, again… They immediately looked up when they saw Lance and the others coming towards them.

’’ You are late again…’’ Pidge said.

’’ Why is everyone complaining about that?’’ Lance said.

Pidge just sighed and turned their attention towards their video game once more. Allura gave Lance a quick peck on the check before moving to her seat. Hunk took his place next to Pidge and they didn’t even glance once at Hunk…  
Suddenly the door opened and everyone’s attention turned towards their teacher. She stopped right in front of the board, viewing every student in the class. She waited until everyone was settled and then said:

’’ Good morning class! I have something to announce before beginning our lesson. As you may heard there is a new student among us…’’

Lance became oddly tense while staring at the teacher from his desk on the back. If what he thought was about to happen…. Oh god…

’’ And he’ll be joining your class for the rest of the semester! Anyway… Let’s welcome him. ’’she continued.   
All eyes, including Lance’s, were on the now open door. Everyone was staring wide eyed at the dark haired boy who was now walking towards their teacher. He stopped beside their teacher and looked all of them in the eyes. Lance’s heart stopped when the boy’s eyes met his, those midnight blue eyes…

’’ My name is Keith Kogane. Nice to meet you all.’’ Was all he said before Lance’s world was on fire…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHOS BACK.... BACK AGAIN.... Ahahah honestly Lance is going to loose his shit next chapter jgnbgOB... Sooo how was it? Don't forget to give kudos and comment ^_^


	3. Stalker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the slow update this time... School has started and It was hard for me to find time for writing. Anywaaayyy here is the third chapter and I hope you like it^_^

Keith Kogane...

The name was begging to make a sense in Lance's consciousness but nothing was enough as the image of blood and light and death was before his eyes. He tried to match the fammiliar face in front of him with the one he had seen on that night, seven years ago. His pointed nose, his fair skin, his high cheeckbones, his silky black hair....Everything was beautiful about Keith as it had once been about the fairy. But the source of that small light had been a boy while the elegant features in front of him belonged to a man.

He was tall... But not taller than Lance himself, his long limbs were relaxed as he scanned the whole classroom with those deadly eyes. He was covered in black, the same shade of his hair, from head to toe. His jeans were tight around his toned legs, his black sweater loose around his sculpted torso. He looked like as if he could kill you with a single look and Lance was sure that Keith could if he wanted to.

Nothing was making sense. The fairy was dead and he was sure of it. Lance had witnessed the light slowly escaping his body on that dark nigth. He remembered the shallow breathing of the fairy, his small body covered in his own blood, his fair skin covered in cuts and bruises, his violent caughing which seemed to tear apart his lung. The fairy was certainly dead. The chance of him surviving those vital blows made all the hairs rise up on Lance's body. The chance of him facing the same eternal beauty now made Lance forget everything around him. He was alone once again. He was the same boy he had been all those years ago...shy, friendless....

Lance stared at the figure in front of the board, his mouth unable to form words. His mind was a battle field filled with explosions and fire and death while the real world around him was lethally silent. The whole classroom was still as if a single movement could end them all. They were either shocked by Keith's looks or they were careful enough not to say a word about it. Lance knew that most of the students didn't believe those rumors about the new kid being dangerous but every person who could throw a small glimpse at Keith would think otherwise.

The fairy had been immaculate. Every inch of him had been flawless, shining bright like the stars above. Lance remembered the face which screamed innocence from every corner of it but the beautiful face in front of him looked nothing like the one in his memory. More like it's evil twin. 

Nothing was innocent or pure about Keith Kogane.

Keith glanced back at the teacher by his side once more before walking towards the back of the class. Lance's heart skipped a beat when he noticed that , for some reason, Keith was going to sit at the desk next to him. He couldn't think anymore. He looked up to find dark eyes finding his blue ones. Keirth was almost five steps away from Lance, holding his gaze while walking towards his seat with smooth steps. Before Lance could grasp what he was doing he pushed his chair back aggressively, crashing it to the wall behind him. He jumped to his feet, banging his palms on his desk in order to gain balance. 

Every eye in the class turned towards him, staring at him with startled looks. Lance opened his mouth to say something but what he could manage to get out was a small gasp. Unlike the rest of the class, Keith looked unaffected by Lance's sudden actions. He raised his eyebrows looking at Lance as if saying " Who is this weirdo?". Lance suddenly became aware of his surroundings.

Their teacher looking at him with wide eyes, Pidge who turned around to look at Lance with a rare shocked expression, Allura with rounded eyes covering her mouth with her hands, Hunk turning his gaze to anywhere other than where Lance stood.... And of course he recognized the smirks of some students, small giggles escaping from a few girls.

"Ooooohh Lance is in love!!!" Screamed no one other than Alex Brand. 

It didn't take long before the whole class bursted into laughter. Eveyone including his own friends were laughing at him. Some students were clenching their stomachs, some were banging their fists on their desks and some simply laughed at Lance's stupidity. 

Lance blushed hard, not because of Alex's words but his situation. He was a fool ... He was a fool for not thinking. He wanted to explode, he wanted to be anywhere but here, in front of his classmates eyes. He remebered the last time he felt like this and realized that this was much worse than asking Allura out in the seventh grade.

His face became a darker shade of red as Keith simply shrugged and walked past him, taking his seat next to Lance. 

Lance was still standing there, unable to move a muscle. It was all the new kids' fault for paralizing him with that beautiful face of his. 

The class was still laughing when the teacher yelled: " That's enough!! I want silence NOW!! "

With her strong voice echoing in the wide classroom the hurricane of a laughter died. Everyone was quiet, looking at their teacher instead of Lance who was literally frozen. 

" Lance darling you can sit now... We are about to begin our lesson." She said, making Lance blush even harder.

He awkwardly sat down, examining the faces around him. Most of the eyes were on the board, ready to listen and learn but some glanced at Lance for a brief moment. He noticed Allura's concerned gaze, Pidge's not so innocent smirk and Hunk's small but warm smile.

Lance placed his palms on his eyes blocking every sight in front of him as if he could erase the whole word. It was all his fault...

Keith Kogane... He made him look like an idiot in front of the whole class. Lance wanted to punch that flawless face of his. He made him believe that he was some sort of eternal being for a moment there but Lance was not going to be fooled by it again. What he saw on that night had no longer been in this world of theirs. Maybe in a better place but definitely not here....

Suddenly remembering the boy beside him, Lance slowly removed his hands from his eyes, light filling in his vision. The lesson had already begun and the whole board was covered in ecuations Lance didn't give a fuck about. Students were eagrly taking notes, trying their very best to understand the subject. Unlike Lance... Who was gazing at the boy sitting next to him.

Keith's attention was on the board, taking small notes as he followed the class. His gaze was narrowed, a sign of true concentration. He didn't notice Lance looking at every inch of him. He had rolled his sleeves at some point during Lance's internal monologue. He was tapping his pencil on the open page in front of him, making light sounds. His black hair was carelessly tied in a half up style, messy strands of hair falling in front of his eyes. Keith was trying to solve the next problem written on the board but despite his calm expression, he was biting his small lips as he was writing number after number. He didn't seemed to notice it but Lance did. Lance noticed every small detail about him...

Keith moved his gaze from the board to Lace. His eyes were furious as if he was aware of every single look Lance pointed at him. He sighed heavily, sent him a deadly glare and turned his attention back to the lesson.

Lance immideately turned his attention elsewhere. He started examining his fingers instead, not like he had anything better to do. The lesson was still going on but all Lance could think about was the small hands, the shattered wings and the eternal glow of the boy he met under the tree. The voices around him was muffeled and everything seemed to be blurry in his vision. Except for Keith.

It was suddenly impossible to look elsewhere. He was certainly striking, drawing attention to his unique aspects immediately. Lance knew what he was doing now was wrong. He had to concentrate on the class, try and learn like every other student maybe... He had to look anywhere other than Keith Kogane but he couldn't...

Lance found himself secretly glimpsing at the dark boy again. This time Keith was prepared. He met his gaze almost immideately, eyebrows furrowed, looking ready to put an end to Lance's existence. 

Lance's whole face whitened as he faced Keith who looked more annoyed than angry.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" Keith whispered furiously, clenching his teeth. Lance didn't have an answer to that. He just stared at him for a moment. 

"I-I wasn't... W-well what the fuck is your problem?!" Lance whispered back.

He knew it was a stupid answer but he couldn't help it. He was out of words but he wasn't going let Keith win.

"Stop staring at me. It's so creepy!" Keith said.

"Your face is creepy!" Lance snapped back.

"Then why are you staring at it?"

Lance was startled by Keith's answer. Yeah why was he staring at him? Lance couldn't come up with an answer instead he kept looking at Keith in complete shock. Keith raised one eyebrow at him, waiting for an aswer.

"Hm? I couldn't hear you..." He said looking at Lance with eyes that could freeze the earth.

" I wasn- "  
Lance was interrupted by no one other than their teacher. 

" Lance if you are not going to stop talking I suggest you to leave the classroom!"

" But I wasn't the only one talki-"

" LANCE!"

He knew it was time to shut up after he saw the wrathful expression on her face. He sighed and burried his face in his hands. He lied on the desk a minute later, trying to relax after what happened. Now he was angry. Now he wanted nothing more than to make Keith pay for everything he had done since he entered the classroom...

The lesson went on and on and Lance didn't dare to look back at Keith. He woke up with the sound of the bell ringing. He had slept at some point during the long lesson and was woken up by the annoying sound ringing in his ears. He glanced at the seat next to him where Keith had been. It was empty...

Lance got up from his desk and made his way towards the door.  
He barely noticed Allura approaching him.

" Lance do you want to go to-

"Sorry babe. I have to go!" Lance said, without hearing what Allura was about to say.  
Pidge gave him a weird look as if saying "What are you doing?" when he walked past their desk. 

He ran out of the classroom, trying to catch the sight of a familiar mullet. He continued running in the hallway finding the attention of all the students on him. He didn't care. They looked at Lance all the time because of his good looks anyway so he didn't mind the curious ones.

He found Keith at the end of the hallway, taking the stairs which went to the roof. The roof...

Lance didn't understand why he would choose to go to the roof at the first break he ever had in this school but he didn't have time to question it. Keith was at the top of the stairs when Lance caught up with him. Keith entered the roof top and Lance ran after him, climbing the stairs with impressive speed. When Lance finally reached the roof of the school Keith stopped walking as if sensing he was behind him.

Lance's heart was beating so fast. Either because of running or Keith. He didn't know...

"Why the fuck are you following me?!" Keith said, his voice harsh.

" I need some answers." Lance replied. 

He knew it didn't make sense to Keith but Lance silently wished it did. Keith turned around to look at him:

" Why the fuck do I have to give you answers?"

" You are him right?"

"Who?"

"The fairy..."

This time it was Keith's turn to be silent. He stared at Lance with his dark eyes,resembling the night sky. He looked up at Lance's face, searching for any sing that he was joking but instead he found complete seriousness.

"Okay you are definitely crazy..."  
Keith said, turned away and kept walking towards the fences guarding the roof. Lance stopped in his place for a moment before following him. He stood beside Keith, gazing at the city in front of them. There were many students under them.Some chatting in groups, some running around in the yard, and some sitting at the benches enjoying their break. Unlike Lance who was stuck here with Keith...

Keith threw a quick glance at him before searching the pockets of his black jeans. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, put one between his lips. He was about to put the pack into his pocket but Lance yanked it from his hand. Keith couldn't hide his surprise this time. He turned towards Lance, sent him a glare that could freeze hell but he wasn't affected by it at all. Instead he pulled out a cigarette from the pack, looking into Keith's eyes while putting it between his lips like Keith did a moment ago. 

Lance pulled out a lighter from his own pocket, Keith eyeing him the whole time. He lighted the, cigarette, took a drag and blew it out. He gestured the lighter towards Keith and Keith returned it with a strange look.

"What?" Lance asked before taking another drag, this time a longer one.

Instead of answering him Keith yanked the lighter from Lance's hand as Lance did a minute ago. He lighted his own cigarette and they stood in silence. The only sound was that of the students in the school yard and the soothing sound of the wind. Keith threw quick glances at Lance and whenever he did Lance was looking somewhere else. Then it was the opposite...  
Lance quickly glancing at Keith and turning his gaze elsewhere a second later. 

Lance had to be more clear about what he wanted to learn about Keith. He already taught that Lance was weird and if he continued to ask Keith whether he was a fairy or not, Keith would be certain that Lance was out of his mind. He needed to find the truth without him noticing. He needed time to be on his side in order to read the boy like a book. But Lance had never been good with words and if Keith were a book he would have been full of complicated ones.  
Keith was the one to break the silence.

" I came here to relax and enjoy my break in silence and then you showed up..."

" It's not like I talked too much. Come on everyone likes my voice!" Lance said.

" I don't..."

" Like I care!" Lance said with an overly exaggerated voice. They were silent again. This time Lance was the one to break the silence.

"Look... I might have sounded crazy earlier but... You reminded me of someone and for a second I really thought that you were him..."

" Yeah you did sound crazy. But I'm not that person." Keith replied and slowly let the smoke escape.

The truth hurt more than Lance intended it to. He knew that Keith wasn't the fairy but hearing him confrim that made Lance's heart ache painfully. The little hope he had inside him died like the light that fairy once had. Lance didn't notice that what he was feeling inside was also displayed on his face, a blank but hurt expression.

"Look... Umm..." Keith started. 

"Lance."

"Yeah, Lance... I'm sorry but I'm not the guy you're looking for so let's just drop the subject okay?"

Lance didn't expect this, he hadn't been prepared for this. "He had just apologized to me!" Lance thought. But he decided that he didn't want to agree with the rest of Keith's words. 

"B-But you are him. I mean you look exactly like-  
Lance tried to say but what made him stop was the look on Keith's face. 

It basically said shut the fuck up with his dark eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched, his brows furrowed... Tension was all over his face and Lance understood that it was time to shut up. He didn't want to be on Keith's bad side. Well... Maybe he already was.

They stood there in silence once more, smoking their cigarettes, the soft wind brushing their skin. With each passing minute the students in the yard lessened more and more until Lance and Keith were facing an empty ground. The break was probably over and they had to return to their class but Keith made showed no intentions of doing anything other than staying here.

"We should go back the class is probably about to start?" Lance said turning his attention towards Keith.

"Which class do we have now?" Keith asked, taking another drag from his half burnt cigarette.

"Why are you asking me?"

"Do you see anyone else around?"

"No..."

"So which class do we have now?" Keith said and sighed heavily. Lance threw the cigarette on the ground, crushing it with his foot, putting the flame out.

"It's probably chemistry." He answered.

"Okay you can go back and I'll stay here."

"Wait why?"

"Because I already know the current subject I don't need to hear the same things again..."

Lance was about to protest but the door of the roof suddenly opened, catching both of them by surprise. Both of them turned towards the sound where a girl stood. And not just any girl... It was Allura. His girlfriend... Oh wait. Allura... HIS GIRLFRIEND....

"Oh shit! I totally forgot about her..." Lance thought. He ignored her in the begging of the break. She had definitely been looking for him ever since. Oh God... Lance was fucked.

"Lance! I the class is about to start! Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you..." Allura said, her breathing unevene. 

Her face was a flushed mess, her hair was fluffier than usual and she looked like she had been running for a really long time. Lance knew that the running part was because of him and he also knew that she would beat him up if he ever tried to justify himself. 

She walked over to the both of them and stopped at a safe distance away from Keith. She couldn't hide the obvious shock on her face. Allura didn't expect to see her boyfriend with the dangerous and dark new kid, smoking side by side on the roof top as if they had known each other since they were born. The situation was nothing like that. There had been no sweet and friendly moment between them but Lance knew that Allura would think otherwise.

" Um hi! I'm Allura Courtland and you are the new kid. Keith was your name right?" She said smiling and holding her hand out for Keith. However Keith wasn't smiling at her.

He looked at her hand, maybe hesitated for a second and shook it lightly. Everyone who could have witnessed this moment would notice that Keith wasn't interested in meeting with her at all.

"Yeah." He simply answered, letting go of her hand. 

"I'm glad that you are getting along with my boyfriend. He may not be the best at chatting but he definitely is a good friend." Allura said, looking between Lance and Keith.

"First of all you are right about his social skills and second of all I'm not your boyfriends friend..." Keith said. 

There wasn't even a hint of a smile on his face, he looked cold all over. Allura couldn't say anything for a whole munite. She was completely paralized, her mind a complicated maze. Lance thought that she must be comparing the rumors about Keith with the actual version of him. If she had believed every single one of Hunk's words this morning, then it was certain that she matched Keith with them now. He looked exactly like the gang member, son of a crime lord that she suspected he was and with that emotionless face, the tiny bit of suspection in her was gone.

"O-Okay..." She managed to say. 

Her gaze landed on Lance's eyes and her's were literally saying "lets get out of here!". Lance pushed himself from where he was leaned on the fences and stood beside Allura. He held her hand and they moved towards the exit. He glanced once more at Keith who was smoking his cigarette without a care in the world, without giving a fuck about whether the two of them were here or not. He quickly looked at Allura's frightened face and with her hand in his, they left the rooftop leaving the new kid alone.

"What were you doing up there with him?" Allura said, her concern growing in her eyes.

"Nothing... Just some chatting." 

"Chatting ... With him??"

"Yeah" Lance said. "Is there something wrong?" 

His voice came out louder than he intended it to. It was as if he was defending Keith... Never!

"No... But... I-I don't want you to talk with him anymore okay? He is a bit... strange I don't like him." Allura said, turning her gaze elsewhere.

"I have no reason to be afraid of him."

"Yeah I know but... still."

Lance sighed. Normally Allura was the least likely to be paranoid but there must be a reason why she didn't like Keith. It was not like Lance liked him but he had to learn... Various things about Keith Kogane. He needed him and Lance wasn't giving up this early.

"You know I'll never say no to you right?" Lance said, smirking at her.

Allura laughed at the silly but charming face he was making. She raised on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, making Lance blush like a maniac.

"I know." She said, giggling.

He smiled at her and they continued walking towards their classroom in the empty hallway. She kept smiling the whole time without knowing what's going on in Lance's mind.

Lance didn't like lying to her but it was the only safe way to learn the mystery that was called Keith Kogane...

 

\------------------------------------------------

 

The rest of the day went on as usual. A normal and boring school day... With long and unnecessary classes in which Lance slept until the end. Seriously he didn't need to sleep tonight because he knew that the amount of sleep he got that day was enough to keep him awake for a whole week. 

The only reason he was awake in some of the classes was because of the unusual presence of his new classmate.... With someone like Keith Kogane sitting beside you it would be hard to do basically.... Anything. He was so hard to avoid, his presence felt like a black hole inside the classroom. Lance forced himself to not think about the dark kid next to him but he gave up after his fiftieth trial. He had no control over his body, he couldn't even control where his sight shifted. It always landed on Keith somehow and that was enough to keep Lance awake. 

 

"Alright class! See you tomorrow and don't forget about the homework!" Their teacher said as he got up from his seat. All the students were in a rush as they raced towards the door of the classroom, more than ready to get out of this prison. Lance slowly got up from his chair and walked towards Allura and the rest of his friends. 

Pidge and Hunk was discussing about a new released video game which Pidge insisted on buying. Hunk was protesting the idea with various theories about how the game was shitty and Lance couldn't care less about their strange discussion. 

"Pidgeon! Come on we have to go!" Lance said, throwing his arm around Allura's shoulder and walking towards the exit.

"This is important man! " Hunk replied instead with an angry voice. 

Pidge ignored him completely. They were so invested in the conversation that they didn't even glance up at Lance and continued making important statements about the new video game. Allura sighed at the usual behavior those two had.

"Fine then. Lance and I will go on ahead. See you guys!" She said waving at them.

"Bye!" Lance said and exited the classroom with Allura. They walked in silence in the hallway which was now filled with students who were relieved with the end of another school day. When they finally got to the school yard realization of a certain fact hit Lance like a train. 

"Keith is gone!" Lance thought. He hadn't been there when the class was over and Lance couldn't remember if he was even there during the whole class. His eyes searched for him in the crowd, hoping to find a familliar mullet but he couldn't. Lance's heart was beating loud inside his chest. He had lost him, Keith of all people in a crowd where he could recognize him easily. Keith was like a dark spot on a white paper, once you saw him he would never leave your sight. You would try to erase him with every possible way but nothing would work and he would stay there forever. However there was no sign of that black drop of ink on the canvas in front of Lance.

He continued looking for him without looking panicked even though his heart pounded like a wild beast. Allura must have noticed his uneasinesss because she asked:

"Lance are you okay... You look... Nervous."

"I'm fine." Lance quickly said and continued searching the crowd with his eyes.

By the time they reached the school gate most of the students were cleared out of the way, largening Lance's view of the yard and that's when he spotted him... No not Keith but Shiro.

He was leaned against the school gate, casually watching them approach. Lance wasn't exactly surprised to find him there. He had been pushy about taking Lance to school that morning and Lance had been suspecting that hew would be there when it ended. Shiro was unpredictable for the most of the time but he wasn't completely unpredictable, you just had to catch the right clues. He was smiling at their approach, looking at their joined hands, probably thinking how good they looked as a couple. 

"Hey" Shiro said. " I thought it would be a good idea to see you guys after school so here I am!" 

Lance didn't know what motivated him to come here when he was supposed to be relaxing at home or whatever place which didn't have noisy teens in it. He looked happy and that wasn't natural. Lance wouldn't be happy being here on a holiday, and he wasn't exactly happy now, he had many problems and the biggest one was Keith Kogane who was currently missing. 

"Ok. It's good to see you man... Again." Lance said suspicion thick in his voice. Allura gave a friendly smile to Shiro and looked between the two of them, questioning Lance's behavior. She was oblivious to the fact that Shiro had a strange motive to show up for the second time that day, she was obviously thinking about how Shiro was a great big brother figure, caring about Lance when he was supposed to enjoy his time in piece and quiet. But Lance knew Shiro better than anyone else and he knew that something was up with him. Though he couldn't exactly pin it down...

"Hey Allura! It's been a while, how are you?" Shiro said, changing the subject. 

"I'm fine. Thanks Shiro how is your father doing?" Allura said.

After a few munites the two dived into a gentle conversation about various topics which included their families, school life and other small topics which didn't interest Lance at all. His mind was full of those dark eyes which looked furiously at his , merely an hour ago. He was asking himself whether what he was going trough was a dream or a fragment of reality. No it had been very real and it had happened before his eyes. Keith was real, he had been there, he hadn't been a part of Lance's imagination or a piece of his nightmares or a vicious play of his own mind. The image he saw that morning in class was as real as Shiro and Allura chatting in front of him, their voices a blurry mess in Lance's ears. His body was there with the beautiful girl and the older boy but his soul was a ghost wandering in the school yard in order to find the person he had to haunt now. Keith Kogane was no where in sight and Lance's heart was nowhere near being relaxed.

As Shiro and Allura's conversation held on for a few more munites, Lance McClain spotted the person he had been looking for. It was as if he had been blind all the time since he entered the wide school yard, his eyes covered in an invisible sheet. Keith was there on the opposite side of the school gate, leaned against it with a similar efficiency as Shiro's posture, relaxed but at the same time allert. He was looking at his phone which was also black like the rest of his clothes. He really did look like a black dot among the bright crowd. His head was bowed in an unhealthy position as he was checking his phone with urgency for something. Lance didn't think someone like him would be interested in anything a phone would offer so it must be really important. Maybe it was gang business who knew? Lance didn't and he certainly didn't want to question it.

Before he knew it he was staring again. He couldn't stop it, he just looked at the beautiful boy casually checking his phone dispite the tense expression he had on his delicate face. In the corner of his eyes, Lance caught Shiro's questioning eyes drifted towards him. He was looking at the direction Lance's gaze was directed to but he couldn't understand it. Neither did Lance.

"Yeah." Shiro said shortly after something Allura said, without looking at her but at Lance's line of sight. 

Allura was surprised to find his eyes anywhere other than her own when they were obviously having a conversation. Shiro cared about being polite more than anything, much like Allura did, and this ment something had to be going on. She quickly looked at the direction the two boys faced, and it didn't take long for a frown to appear on her beautiful face.

She didn't like Keith Kogane, no maybe she hated him but hate was a strong word and Allura didn't like to use it unless necessary. Maybe it would be necessary sooner than she expected. 

Lance continued looking at the boy covered in black without thinking of any sort of plan. His brain functions died as soon as he saw Keith standing there. Did Keith have this strange ability to freeze people's senses or was it just Lance?

Allura looked at the two boys once more and said:

"Hey guys! I have an idea would you like to go to–" 

"Sorry Allura." Lance said, rudely cutting her off. "Me and Shiro umm... have things to do which are.... Important! Yeah they are really important! Come on Shiro!" He finished and grabbed Shiro by his wrist pulling him forward.

Allura was frozen in her place, embarrassment all over her face. Lance left her waiting there, avoiding her with everything he got until Allura's heart was broken in to tiny pieces. She wished she could stab Lance with one of those pieces but Lance was already gone, dragging Shiro by his side.

"L-Lance... Hey Lance! What the fuck are you d–" Shiro started but Lance shushed him with his hand covering Shiro's mouth. 

Lance had dragged Shiro towards the opposite side of where Keith stood by the school gate. There were several cars parked there including Shiro's black and shiny one which stood out like gold among dirt. They got behind the car blocking themselves from Keith's view. The dark boy didn't even look up to examine the rush in front of him, oblivious of the fact that he was kind of being stalked. Was Lance a stalker now? No this wasn't stalking. This was a rabbit trying to hunt a wolf because it was impossible to call Keith a rabbit and Lance knew that he wouldn't call himself a wolf in any kind of situation. He was a pray trying to outrun a predator but the predator wasn't interested in this strange competition at all. So this was not stalking no...never.

By the time Lance managed to make Shiro completely silent, Keith had already started to move. He continued walking away from the school going towards the direction of where the cars where parked. Shit...

He was walking towards them... He would definitely notice the two of them trying to hide behind the expensive car. Lance had to be quick!

"Move!" Lance whispered to Shiro who was crouched next to him. 

He made a gesture with his hand indicating Shiro to move towards the back of the car, hinting their new hiding spot. Shiro nodded and the two of them quickly got behind the back of the expensive car, looking at the approaching figure.

Keith held his phone to his ear, waiting for his call to be answered. He was getting closer to their car and Lance was really worried about the car which was parked next to Shiro's to appear to be Keith's one. He prayed with every hope inside him that it wasn't.

" Have you received my text?" Keith said, the person on the other side of the phone mumbled an answer which was incomprehensible to anyone other than Keith.

There were answers like "yeah" and "ok" and "i got it" escaping from Keith as the short talk continued. Lance didn't have an idea about the person who was on the phone with the mysterious boy before them but whatever business he had with Keith made him more anxious than he ever wanted to admit.

"Okay see you in a bit." Keith said and ended the phone call. 

Lucky for them, he didn't glance at the direction the two boys were hiding and he didn't go for the car parked next to him. Instead he walked past Shiro's black car and headed for an also expensive looking car parked a few meters away. 

Keith's car reflected every bit of his traits which Lance found out about in his quest today. Dark, mysterious, secretive and looking ready to crush anyone, anytime. These words would be enough to describe the car Keith was now getting in but they were just a few boats in the ocean of words which belonged to Keith Kogane. 

"Lance can you tell me who we are exactly hiding from?" Shiro said, a bit louder over the sound of Keith's engine running.

"I'll explain it to you later. Now we have to follow that car..."

 

\-------------------------------------------------

Shiro's black car followed the other for almost twenty minutes from a safe distance. He looked concerned and full of questions but he didn't say anything to Lance, who was frowning with everything he got towards the black car in front of them.

"Are you going to explain it to me now?" Siro asked, his gaze following the road ahead of them.

"Nope not now." Lance simply replied with a voice muffled with anger. 

Shiro didn't question him any more, he trusted Lance's instincts more than he did his own, which Lance was extremely grateful for. They continued following the car until the other car turned to to it's left, slowing down and getting inside a narrow and dark looking street.

"Don't turn left! He'll know we're following his car." Lance said with the tactics he learned from an action movie he saw a few days ago. 

Shiro nodded and continued driving ahead. He slowed down a few seconds later, parking his own car, mimicking the other car which was now parked somewhere inside the dangerous looking street. Lance's heart was beating like crazy and his chest was about to explode. He had many reasons why Keith would stop here of all places in every corner of his mind. A secret gang meeting, a secret fairy meeting if he was really the fae he suspected Keith to be or maybe a secret fairy gang meeting... Either options scared Lance to death and he didn't want his ideas to wander in his mind anymore, darkening his line of thinking with horrible possibilities.

However Shiro looked nothing like the uneasy boy Lance turned into the second they stopped near the horrifying street. 

"Come on." Lance said to Shiro as he gently opened his door, getting out of the car. 

Shiro got out a second later, following Lance into the narrow street, taking careful steps towards Keith's parked car. Keith was already a good distance away from them, unable to notice the two of them following him like a shadow. Keith checked his phone every now and then, checking for whatever thing was the reason he was here now. He continued walking in the street with effortless elegancy without glancing at anywhere but the narrow side walk ahead of him.  
Lance was secretly whishing that his wild heart beat wasn't louder than his careful footsteps.

Keith suddenly stopped in front of white marble stairs which leaded to a wooden door of a tall and gray apartmant. Neon signs of various shapes and colors were next to the door, some pointing at it and some just trying to get attention. The majority of the signs were in a language Lance didn't understand and it didn't take long for him to realize that the rest of the street was covered with sings similar to the strange apartment. The street wasn't dead it was alive with colors and darkness despite the few amount of people in the narrow sidewalks. Lance's couldn't believe that he hadn't been aware of this interesting place during the years he spent in this town and if it weren't for the strange boy called Keith Kogane, he would have been unaware of the fact that such a magically creepy place existed near his home. 

Shiro and Lance both took a moment to examine the dark street, both shocked with the view of neon lights, shops of all kinds and the few people in the street giving dangerous vibes. 

Their attention sparked towards Keith when they were out of the nullifying affect of the place around them. Keith rang the bell of the wooden door. It didn't take long for the door to open and a man to welcome Keith with a fist bump. Loud music was banging from the open door, coming from the upper floors of the dull looking building.  
Keith closed the door as he got inside, the crushing music consuming him and dissapearing with the now closed door.

Lance read the bright sign pointing at the wooden door.

" Coran's" he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm.... I wonder who Coran is ???  
> See you guys soon ^_^

**Author's Note:**

> *evil laughter  
> Awwww Lance my BABY BOY!!!  
> Okay this chapter started out as innocent middle school drama but had a tragic eding...  
> Sooo don't forget to review and if you enjoyed it please give this fic a kudos ^_^  
> Love you all!!!


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